ZURIEL ODUWOLE (Ed.D) Raises Her Bar Yet Again

Kemi Ajumobi

May 18, 2026

“Hello Aunty Kemiiiiiiiiiiii” I could literally hear her voice through the several times the letter “I” was added to my name from her message to me.

“How are you doing and how is Lagos? I graduated 2 days ago with my doctoral degreeeee…so…finally done with school” she said. I had all the emotions flowing through my veins. I felt like a proud Aunt, smiling from ear-to-ear. That 11 year old Zuriel who I have journeyed with through the years, writing about her, sharing her story, anchoring her event and being warmly welcomed into her beautiful family, is no longer little Zuriel…she has a Doctorate!! Someone pinch me.

I couldn’t contain my joy but I had to put myself together so I could continue reading her message. “First, I’m simply grateful to God for the ability, wisdom and strength to start this doctoral degree, in a class where there were 40 year-olds and 50 year olds, and finished successfully too, in between all else I do. It simply shows the power of the mind but especially, a woman’s mind.” She said but she certainly wasn’t done. “Despite all I had done since I was 10, some people still asked how I learned to do my advocacy and if I even went to school or had a qualification before doing it. Well, now I can very quietly show my doctoral degree, from USC.” She ended. The other part of the message she sent is Aunty Kemi and Zuriel’s private convo…haha!

Someone get me a handkerchief…my baby girl is all grown up. Is “proud” the right word? Someone help me grasp this feeling.

So, let me break this down. Zuriel Oduwole is such a humble and highly intelligent young lady, and you can see that from her text message. Now, when she says “…despite all I have done since I was 10″ and “…in-between all I do” it includes global works of raising awareness for the girl child, interviewing icons and distinguished international personalities from when she was 10 amongst so many other feats. Let me share her biography with you so you get a clearer picture.

Zuriel Elise Oduwole first made headlines on the world stage when she was featured in Forbes magazine in 2013 at the age of 10 for her policy meetings and discussions with 7 world leaders. They were President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, President Joyce Banda of Malawi, President Jose Fonseca of Cape Verde, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, and President Ellen Johnson of Liberia.

In the almost decade and half that followed, she launched an advocacy for girls education, studied the impact of instability on Gender Development, earning a Masters Degree in Global Security, International Affairs and Conflict Resolution from the American University in Washington DC, sat down with more than 36 Presidents and Prime Ministers in various advisory or development discourses, and she helped end girl marriage in Mozambique in 2019 after her meeting in Maputo with President Felipe Nyisi to discuss the scourge, showing herself as an example of what an educated girl could do.

A self taught filmmaker, she developed a filmmaking class and taught students mostly out of school older girls in Ghana, Mexico, Rwanda, Nigeria and Cote d’ Ivoire.

At the height of the Arab blockade of Qatar, she was invited to Egypt by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to share her unique insights on conflict resolution, having helped mediate peace between Guyana and Venezuela at the UN years earlier.

For all the above remarkable strides, she received the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon leadership award at the age of 20, the Forbes Women Award in 2024, the Muhammed Ali Humanitarian Award at the of 22, the CARE Humanitarian Award at 23, and was nominated by two US institutions, a Senator, and a Prime Ministers office for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

In May 2026 at the age of 23, she earned an Organisation Leadership & Change degree from the Rossier school of the University of Southern California (USC), becoming the youngest doctoral degree graduate since the leadership school was founded over a hundred years ago, in 1918.

Need I say more?

As I celebrate Zuriel, I also acknowledge and celebrate her fantastic parents, Ademola and Patricia Oduwole for their love, guidance and SACRIFICE. Not forgetting her siblings Azaliah and Ismachiah who are also following Zuriel’s path being children of positive influence. 

A special shout-out to her lead project supervisor- Professor Anthony Maddox who was extremely supportive of her progress from Day-1 till the end. Thank you sir!

Dear Zuriel Oduwole (Ed.D), it’s from here to greater heights and more results, the sky is your starting point because you are going waaaay beyond it!

Congratulations darling!